Risks, Farmers’ Suicides and Agrarian Crisis in India: Is There a Way Out?
Abstract
Poor returns to cultivation and absence of non-farm opportunities are indicative of the larger socio-economic malaise in rural India. This is accentuated by the multiple risks that the farmer faces – yield, price, input, technology and credit among others. The increasing incidence of farmers’ suicides is symptomatic of a larger crisis, which is much more widespread. Risk mitigation strategies should go beyond credit. Long term strategies requires more stable income from agriculture, and more importantly, from non-farm sources. Private credit and input markets need to be regulated. A challenge for the technological and financial gurus is to provide innovative products that reduce costs while increasing returns. The institutional vacuum of organising farmers needs to be addressed through a federation of self-help groups (SHGs) or alternative structures.
Suggested Citation
Srijit Mishra (2008), "Risks, Farmers’ Suicides and Agrarian Crisis in India: Is There a Way Out?" Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 63(1): 38-54, January-March, available at: http://works.bepress.com/srijit_mishra/11.
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